State Park Place man charged after police find evidence of cockfighting

By BETH HUNDSDORFER – News-Democrat
Published February 17th, 2010

A State Park Place man faces theft charges after deputies investigating a disturbance said they found evidence of a cockfight in his living room on Saturday.

Madison County sheriff’s deputies were called to the home of James T. Watkins, 42, at 3334 V.F.W. Lane for a disturbance at 7:50 a.m. Saturday.

“While at the residence, blood and feathers were found in the living room,” said Sheriff’s Capt. Brad Wells. “A female resident of the home gave deputies consent to search the home. She told deputies that Watkins had been fighting roosters in the living room of the home the previous evening.”

Deputies found a dead rooster in an outside trash can, then found a live rooster in a bush near the home. Trophies from and books about cockfighting were found inside the home.

A neighbor said the roosters were stolen from his property and valued the roosters at $250 each.

Cockfighting is illegal in all 50 states and is a felony in Illinois, said John Goodwin, manager of animal fighting issues for the Humane Society of the United States.

Cockfighting is often connected with gambling and drugs, Goodwin said.

The fights are vicious, Goodwin said, and often end with the death of one or both of the roosters.

“If you see a cockfight, you realize it’s incredibly sad,” said Goodwin, who was in San Bernardino County in California during a raid on a large-scale cockfighting operation. “If you can ignore the intense suffering of the animal, it’s just kind of boring. You are basically just betting on which bird is going to die.”

Dr. Elliot M. Katz, veterinarian and founder of “In Defense of Animals,” lobbies for stricter laws against fighting animals.

Cockfighting leaves the roosters with punctured lungs, broken legs and spines and ruptured eyes, Katz said. The breeding and socialization of fighting birds often leaves them without much hope of finding a home if they are rescued, Katz said.

Watkins was in the Madison County Jail on Tuesday afternoon in lieu of $50,000 bail.